Liam O'Maonlai to narrate 'Humpback Whales of Cape Verde' documentary

20th Jul 2015

Irish musician Liam O'Maonlai will narrate the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group supported film 'Humpback Whales of the Cape Verde'. Shot in Cape Verde, the islands of Malta and Ireland over six months, the film follows IWDG scientist Dr Simon Berrow and an international team of marine scientists as they try and prove humpback whales from both the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere use the Cape Verde archipelago as a breeding ground.

"Through a mutual friend and Hothouse Flowers collaborator Martin Brunsden, the idea of Liam doing the narration came about," said the films’ director Tony Whelan. "Though he had never done narration before, Liam was open to the idea from the start. He has an affinity with whales and the sea. We met, I explained the project, he was up for doing it."

The expedition to Cape Verde in September 2014 was funded by the Island Foundation in the US and the Karl Meyer Foundation based in Liechtenstein.

"We recorded Liam's narration in Locky Butler's Dublin studios last week. There was a wonderful energy and I think Liam enjoyed it as much as we did." The film, edited by Niall Campion and with music by Nico Brown and Martin Brunsden, will finish post production in the next few weeks and is expected to premiere on the Irish film festival circuit later this year.
"We are quite fortunate that so many people have given of their time and energy to get this film made. I hope I can repay that trust. It would be grand if an Irish broadcaster picks the film up before it goes overseas. It really is a good story. We were all in awe of the lengths these scientist go to make our world a better place"

Dr Simon Berrow who led the first IWDG expedition to the Cape Verde in 2002 said this latest venture was the most demanding. "nobody has attempted to look for whales and dolphins around Cape Verde in late summer, especially for humpback whales, which aren’t supposed to be there at that time of year ... a leap into the unknown"